Radisson Blu LeoGrand Hotel Chisinau Răut Conference Room

Saturday, April 8th, Chisinau

12:00-12:15 Registration of participants and welcome coffee

12:15-12:30

OPENING REMARKS Dr. MARTIN SIEG, Head of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Offices in Romania and Republic of Moldova ANA MIHAILOV, Programme coordinator, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Moldova ULRIKE KNOTZ, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Republic of Moldova

12:30-13:00

THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM OF MOLDOVA: STATE OF PLAY Moderator: VASILE BOTNARU, Director, Radio Free Europe, Moldova Office

ANDRIAN CANDU, Vice-Chairman, Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) ANDREI NĂSTASE, Chairperson of the Truth and Dignity Platform Party (PPDA)

Discussion (10 min)

13:00-14:30 PANEL I. CHANGE OF THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM - BENEFITS AND THREATS Moderator: Dr. IGOR MUNTEANU, Executive Director, IDIS Viitorul

SERGIU SÎRBU, Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) IGOR BOȚAN, Executive Director, ADEPT ARMAND GOȘU, Political Analyst, University of Bucharest SORIN IONIȚĂ, Expert Forum, Bucharest OLEKSII LYCHKOVAKH, Election Adviser, OSCE/ODIHR

Discussion (40 min)

Key questions: § What could be the effects of the electoral system’s change on the party system,

governmental effectiveness and stability?

§ Should the problems faced by the Republic of Moldova - unresolved Transnistrian issue, unreformed territorial-administrative division of the country, and the massive emigration of the population (about 1/3 of citizens with the right to vote)- be taken into account while changing the electoral system?

2

14:30-15:00 Coffee break

15:00-16:30 PANEL II. INSISTING ON DEMOCRATIC NARRATIVES FOR MOLDOVA ON ITS EUROPEAN PATH Moderator: Liliana BARBAROȘIE, Radio Free Europe

ION TABÎRȚĂ, Expert, IDIS Viitorul TUDOR DELIU, Vice-president of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) IURIE CIOCAN, Expert in electoral issues, Ex-Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission SIEGFRIED MUREȘAN, Spokesperson of the EPP, Member of the European Parliament CORNEL CIUREA, Political analyst Discussion (40 min)

Key questions: § Is the proposed draft law on the majoritarian electoral system (FPTP) providing

for the citizens’ right to recall MPs in conformity with the constitutional provisions and the concept of representative mandate? What is the international practice in this area?

§ What is the experience of the majoritarian electoral system in the post-communist countries and ex-soviet republics – Romania, Ukraine, and Georgia?

§ How can the proposed majoritarian electoral system (FPTP) impact the citizens’ representation?

§ What could be the impact of the majoritarian system (FPTP) on turnout, representation of minorities, gender balance, emergent political currents etc.?

§ How could the change of electoral system impact the right to active and passive vote of Moldovan citizens in Transnistria (about 300 thousands) and of the Moldovan diaspora (about one million)?

16:30-17:00 Coffee break

17:00-18:30 PANEL III. POLITICAL DEBATE Moderator: Vasile BOTNARU, Director, Radio Free Europe, Moldova Office

MAIA SANDU, Chairperson of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) VASILE BOLEA, Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) VLADIMIR CEBOTARI, Member of Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) MICHAEL GAHLER, Member or the European Parliament MARKUS MECKEL, Ex-member of German Bundestag

Discussion (40 minutes)

3

Key questions: § What are the main benefits of the proposed majoritarian electoral system as seen

by the political parties and what are the political parties’ concerns with regard to it?

§ Could the proposed majoritarian system raise the integrity of the electoral process or on the contrary, undermine it?

§ What is preferable: to change the existing electoral system or to improve it?

§ How concretely could the proposed majoritarian system be improved, if that was the case?

§ How concretely could the existing proportional system be improved, if that was the case?

§ Can a consensus on the change of electoral system among political parties be reached?

18:30-19:00

Closing Remarks IGOR BOȚAN, Executive Director, ADEPT Dr. IGOR MUNTEANU, Executive Director, IDIS Viitorul

19:00 Networking & dinner